Sharkey triple murder trial moved from Edinburgh to High Court in Glasgow

THOMAS Sharkey, 55, his daughter Bridget, aged eight, and his 21-year-old son Thomas jnr died after a fire at their home in July 2011.

THE trial of two men accused of murdering three members of the same family by setting fire to their home will now take place in Glasgow.

Thomas Sharkey, 55, his daughter Bridget, aged eight, and his 21-year-old son Thomas jnr died following a fire at their house in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, in July 2011.

Robert Jennings, 50, and Scott Snowden, 37, had been due to face a trial beginning on April 30 at the High Court in Edinburgh.

But today the trial was moved to the High Court in Glasgow, where it will get under way on May 7.

Jennings and Snowden deny murder. They have also pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder the children's mother, Angela Sharkey, who survived the blaze.

The murder charge alleges that, on July 24 2011, the accused poured petrol, or something similar, through the letterbox of the only door allowing access to the Scott Court home. It was then set alight when the occupants were asleep, it is claimed.

Thomas jnr and Bridget died in the blaze. Mr Sharkey snr died of his injuries six days later at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Snowden is accused of malice and ill-will towards Mr Sharkey earlier in 2011 by threatening to shoot him and threatening to have his house set on fire.

He has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi.

Between them, the accused face a total of more than 20 charges, all of which they deny.

The trial is expected to last around eight weeks.

The decision to switch the case from the capital to Glasgow was announced by Lord Uist at a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh today. Both accused were present in court.

The judge said: "I shall discharge the trial diet previously fixed for Edinburgh High Court on the 30th of April 2013 and fix a fresh trial diet for Glasgow High Court beginning on Tuesday the 7th of May 2013.

"It will be an eight-week trial diet."

The case will be a "floating" diet, meaning it could start later that week. A further preliminary hearing will be held in Glasgow on April 22.